Electrical connector having resilient conductive terminals

Abstract

An electrical connector includes a terminal-mounting seat configured with receiving spaces. Each of conductive members has a connecting base connected to a contact block that is disposed in the respective receiving space. Each of conductive terminals has a lower clamping end portion abutting against and contacting electrically and movably the contact block of the respective conductive member, and an upper contact end portion extending outwardly of the terminal-mounting seat via a respective one of guiding grooves in a top surface of the terminal-mounting seat. Upon depression by an electronic device, the resilient conductive terminals deform to provide a restoring force to bias the upper contact end portion thereof upwardly to contact electrically a respective one of electrical contacts of the electronic device.

1. An electrical connector for an electronic device, the electronic device having a contact surface formed with a plurality of electrical contacts, said electrical connector comprising:
 a terminal-mounting seat configured with a plurality of receiving spaces, each of which is defined by an inner circumferential wall, and having a top surface adapted to face the contact surface of the electronic device and formed with a plurality of guiding grooves, each of which is adapted to correspond to a respective one of the electrical contacts on the contact surface of the electronic device and is in spatial communication with a respective one of said receiving spaces, and a bottom surface formed with a plurality of openings, each of which is in spatial communication with a respective one of said receiving spaces; 
 a plurality of conductive members, each of which has a contact block disposed in a respective one of said receiving spaces in said terminal-mounting seat, and a connecting base connected to said contact block and extending outwardly of said terminal-mounting seat via a respective one of said openings, said contact block of each of said conductive members having an inclined guiding surface member; and 
 a plurality of resilient conductive terminals disposed respectively in said receiving spaces in said terminal-mounting seat and adapted to correspond respectively to the electrical contacts of the electronic device, each of said conductive terminals being mounted movably between a respective one of said inner circumferential walls of said terminal-mounting seat and a respective one of said conductive members, and having a lower clamping end portion that abuts against and that contacts electrically and movably said inclined guiding surface member of said contact block of the respective one of said conductive members, and an upper contact end portion opposite to said lower clamping end portion and extending outwardly of said terminal-mounting seat via a respective one of said guiding grooves, said resilient conductive terminals deforming when said resilient conductive terminals are depressed by the contact surface of the electronic device, and providing a restoring force so as to bias said upper contact end portion thereof upwardly to contact electrically the respective one of the electrical contacts of the electronic device; 
 each of said resilient conductive terminals being formed as a substantially inverted U-shaped clamp, and having opposite clamping arms, each of which has a coupling end, and a free end opposite to said coupling end, and a curved section that serves as said upper contact end portion and that interconnects integrally said coupling ends of said clamping arms, said free ends of said clamping arms constituting said lower clamping end portion, said free ends of said clamping arms of each of said resilient conductive terminals clamping said contact block of the respective one of said conductive members therebetween; 
 said free end of each of said clamping arms of said conductive terminals being formed with a projecting contact extending toward and contacting electrically said inclined guiding surface member of a corresponding one of said conductive members; 
 said contact block of each of said conductive members having a narrower upper portion, a wider lower portion wider than said upper portion, and an intermediate portion interconnecting said upper and lower portions and having said inclined guiding surface member; 
 each of said upper and lower portions of said contact block of each of said conductive members being cylindrical, said intermediate portion of said contact block of each of said conductive members being truncately conical and having an annular outer circumferential surface that serves as said inclined guiding surface member; and 
 said upper portion of said contact block of each of said conductive members having an annular outer surface formed with a stop ring that is sized so as to prevent passage of a corresponding, one of said projecting contacts through a space between said stop ring and a corresponding one of said inner circumferential walls of said terminal-mounting seat. 
 
   
   
     2. The electrical connector as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein said intermediate portion of said contact block of each of said conductive members is a trapezoidal block having two opposite lateral surfaces that constitute said inclined guiding surface member. 
   
   
     3. The electrical connector as claimed in  claim 2 , wherein said upper portion of said contact block of each of said conductive members is rectangular, and has two opposite lateral surfaces, each of which is formed with a stop flange that is sized so as to prevent passage of a corresponding one of said projecting contacts through a space between said stop flange and a corresponding one of said inner circumferential walls of said terminal-mounting seat.